Designing a Passenger-Centric Information Eco-System for Integrated and Flexible Transport Systems in Rural Areas

In recent decades, use of demand-responsive and flexible transport services (e.g. dial-a-ride services, shared taxicabs, car-club) in rural areas has been promoted as a promising solution to connect rural dwellers to appropriate transport nodes (such as train stations/bus stops). It is accepted that such services, that aim to provide the desired level of flexibility to passengers, have the potential to improve accessibility and connectivity in remote and rural areas. Building on an on-going programme of Digital Economy research, the main aim of this paper is to present a passengercentric information eco-system for bus passengers and evaluate its applicability for rural flexible transport systems. To achieve the above aim, the following objectives are formulated: (1) to understand the various operational and technology-related deployment issues with FTS in rural areas; (2) to describe the development of a passenger-centric information system; and (3) to establish the anticipated usefulness of the developed information eco-system for various FTS services.